Iran rejects ‘negotiation for negotiation’s sake’ in nuke talks

This undated photo shows Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. (Anna Kenare / AFP)

TEHRAN – Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Tuesday said that Iran does not accept "negotiation for negotiation's sake" in the Vienna talks aimed at reviving Iranian 2015 nuclear deal, according to a report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

"Negotiations must be aimed at serving the interests of the Iranian people," Amir Abdollahian said in a telephone conversation with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman, noting that US officials should speak to the Iranian people with respect.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlic-Radman talked on the phone about issues related to bilateral relations as well as Iran's relations with the European Union, according to a report by the Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website

They also discussed issues related to bilateral relations as well as Iran's relations with the European Union, said the report.

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The two ministers emphasized the need to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields, mutual support for investments, customs cooperation and signing an executive plan for cultural exchanges between Iran and Croatia.

Iran gradually stopped implementing parts of its nuclear commitments in May 2019, one year after the administration of former US president Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Iran.

The JCPOA Joint Commission, attended by the US delegation indirectly, began in offline format on April 6 in Vienna to continue previous discussions over a possible return of the United States to the Iranian nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA.

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After six rounds of talks, the parties have said serious differences remain between Iran and the United States for restoration of the deal.